Ziolkowski Viewing Draws Crowd To Crazy Horse

custer, sd

A public viewing at Crazy Horse Memorial near Custer in honor of the late Ruth Ziolkowski drew a large crowd.

Ziolkowski died last week of cancer at age 87. Her funeral was being held Tuesday in the welcome center, and admission fees to the site were being waived. The public viewing was held Monday, on Memorial Day.

Ziolkowski took over leadership of the Black Hills tourist attraction that honors Native Americans upon the 1982 death of her husband, sculptor Korczak Ziolkowski.

Harry Burk has sold crafts at the memorial for 19 years, and credits Ziolkowski with ensuring the future of the monument.

It draws more than a million visitors to the southern Black Hills annually and brings in millions of dollars every year, mainly through admission fees.